A longer restructuring process for Air Malta employees will only compound the psychological stress suffered by workers, according to two unions representing them.

General Workers’ Union general secretary Tony Zarb and the Airline Pilots’ Association president Dominic Azzopardi agreed that the effect of postponing the crucial decisions which have to be taken will not only affect workers psychologically but will also be detrimental to the company. They were reacting to news that the go-ahead to the restructuring plan which the government formulated to save Air Malta from bankruptcy is not likely to come by the end of the year, as was envisaged, since the European Commission was set to invite comments on its preliminary conclusions before reaching its final decision.

On Monday, Finance Minister Tonio Fenech and Competition Commissioner Juaquin Almunia held a closed-doors meeting in Brussels to review the progress being made on the Air Malta dossier. It was after this meeting that it emerged the Commission was planning to have a consultative period on its preliminary findings.

“The longer it takes, the longer it will take for Air Malta employees to know where their future lies. It’s already devastating for them, let alone if they have to wait longer. I sincerely hope this is not a way for the European Commission to scare employees away from the airline,” Mr Zarb said when contacted.

Captain Azzopardi said rather than the psychological effect on workers, what worried him most was the fact that big decisions were taking too long to materialise.

“In the meantime, Air Malta is losing loads of money and very little is being done about it. It loses €3 million a month. We cannot afford to procrastinate,” he said when contacted in between flights.

“Air Malta has reached a point of no return”, he said, adding that certain decisions did not require the European Commission’s go-ahead. One example was the renegotiation of the contract the airline had with Malta International Airport.

Last month, Air Malta CEO Peter Davies said the airline was finalising negotiations that should lead to “substantial reductions” on airport charges. Capt Azzopardi also complained that workers were being left in the dark, leading to more frustration. According to unpublished plans, the airline needs to shed some 500 workers to become financially viable. Air Malta presented its plan to the Commission last May, six months after being granted a €52 million life line by the government in order to avoid bankruptcy.

The plan’s approval is a condition set by the Commission to authorise the rescue aid, without which the airline would be forced to fold.